I'm not that creative to put a story title
by SaturdayHotCoffee
Summary: ItakuXF!Rikuo. EDITING IN PROCESS. No promises, but I will TRY to update by the end of the week or next week.   P/S: I need a title for the story. Like, seriously. PM me if you have some good names for it, and we'll see if I could use it.     No available summary. Yet.
1. Reasons to Kyoto

**A/N:** I am redoing all chapters, (just fixing some grammar mistakes and bla bla bla.) at least until I'm motivated to continue the story again. Going to change story title too.. Lol.

**Warnings:** Genderbend.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

**Summary:** It's summer! The Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol – or more like Kiyotsugu decided to head to Kyoto to do some 'independent' research on youkai, of course, he dragged the others along.

But Kyoto was very dangerous. Reika had to head back home to ask her grandfather about it first. But instead letting her go to Kyoto, Reika was sent to Tōno instead.

* * *

><p>"Ahh~ Summer~ I would love to just float like this to somewhere~" Kappa mumbled as he let his eyes flutters close. The kappa hummed softly as his flipper like hands rested on the back of his head.<p>

Hearing no response from the young heiress of the Nura clan, he stopped and opened the slit of his eyes. Kappa threw a glance towards the brunette haired girl – it seemed like her thoughts were absent at that time.

The boy swam a bit closer towards Reika, the young heiress. Later on, he rested his hands at the back of his head once again.

"Are you worried? About the _girl_ I meant" Kappa mumbled, but it was loud enough to grab the girl's attention.

She shifted her mahogany optics to look at him before she let out a rather deep sigh. Reika squeezed the rope in her hand, keeping the pail that was consisted with a watermelon from drifting away.

"I wonder what could be happening in Kyoto now." She grumbled, loud enough to let her water companion to hear her.

The boy with a white plate over his raven head; that looks exactly like a cracked eggshell blinked in curiosity. He had less idea on what the girl was implying. Though, Kappa could read the tense atmosphere surrounding the young heiress. She was clearly worried.

What happened between them and Yura's brother was surprising enough, and now Yura had to hurry back to Kyoto because 'something had happened' amongst the onmyōji.

As Reika drifted into her deep thought, yet again – a voice greeted her from the back.

"_**Oi! Nura-chan~! We went to your house and they said you're here!**_"

"K-Kiyotsugu-kun!" Shocked, the girl yelped and shot up dramatically upon hearing the voice. The earlier rope accidentally slipped from her hand, but luckily, Kappa caught it before he dived down to hide from the young heiress's friends.

Kiyotsugu, along with the other members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol approached Reika. The boy was rambling about an 'independent research' and about Yura who had return to her hometown.

"People! Think about it! 'Summer Vacation Independent Research Kyoto'! Can you really say you're not going?" The squad's leader said, getting all worked up, forcing the other members to agree with him.

"On the contrary! There's no way you're not going, right, Nura-chan?" He said again as he turned back to look at his friend.

Reika stared into the empty space, thinking. Should she, or shouldn't she tag along with them? Kiyotsugu looked at his friend's solemn face with anticipation – while the other tilted their head in confusion.

"I..." a word could be heard, breaking the silence.

"– I'll let you know after I ask my grandpa about it!" She replied cheerfully and waved, before turning around to walk away quickly.

The squad members were left, confused. Questions started to pop in their head, one by one.

"..Huh? Her grandpa?"

"Probably because we will be staying for a few night..?" asked Torii, the girl with jet black hair that was pony-tailed to her back.

**-n wn-**

The young heiress wondered around in the traditional Japanese mansion to look for her grandfather, the supreme commander, Nurarihyon. She was wearing her black yukata, a long, dark blue haori hanging on her shoulder.

The girl perked her head inside the altar room, just to see her grandfather sitting by the altar while fiddling with his old pipe.

'_Ah, here he is._' She thought. "Oh Grandpa!" She greeted and started pacing closer towards her grandfather.

"What is it, Reika?" He asked.

"Grandpa... I was thinking of... going to Kyoto." She replied, shuffling forward again, but stopped as Nurarihyon threw a sharp glance towards the girl.

"Reika, do you want to die?" he replied.

Reika stepped to the back slightly, just to notice that her grandfather had disappeared from her sight. '_Wha?_' the young heiress turned shifted her glance to the back – it was then, Nurarihyon clicked his tongue.

"You were scared" He said as he get to Reika's side, kicking her stomach; which had set her flying outside the room, straight into the pond where Kappa normally relaxed in.

'_W-when did he?_' She groaned to herself.

"You little fool, you can't even dodge an old man's kick. Going to Kyoto would mean going to your _own_ death."

It was nightfall as he spoke. Reika's transformed into her night form as she tried to get up from the pond. She groaned as she placed her hand on her stomach, her wet, long white and black locks fell gracefully on her shoulder.

"What the hell was that for, old man?" She protested.

'_In a fight between ayakashi, it's a struggle of_ _**Fear**_'

**-n wn-**

_"Hn..? Tsu-chan.. I left my dirty cloth over there..." She mumbled, half awake._

_Her left eye was half-lidded. She brought up her right hand to rub her right eye. There was someone staring at her with a creepy grin._

_'WAIT WHAT?' Reika jolted and sat up quickly. She was trying to regain what had happened last time, and where was she – though she was more curious on WHY, she was placed in a big bowl._

_'What were they doing? Trying to eat me?' She thought – still surprised. What the hell is this place exactly?_

_"You're finally up? You're one troublesome apprentice!" Said one of the big youkai._

_'Apprentice?' She thought again, just to have the bowl she was sitting in kicked by the youkai._

_"Go and greet Akagappa-sama!"_

The young heiress grumbled as she walked outside towards the river, remembering what had happened earlier today. Reika held up a basket full of EVERYONE'S dirty clothes, and leaped over the rocks by the riverbanks to get up to the drying area.

"WAH!" she yelped, accidentally, the girl had stepped on a moss – which was obviously slippery. Reika tried to regain her balance, but it was to no avail.

The laundry fell off her hand, whist the back of her head was bumped against the rock.

The young heiress grunted out of pain. Rubbing her head, she clicked her tongue out of annoyance.

"Oww... Crap, I just washed those…" She grumbled to herself. Reika stood up whilst picking up the earlier clean clothes... seemed like she need to wash this – again.

"Hey, newbie. I'm leaving this here, get it washed!" a Tōno Youkai appeared, leaving another sack of _**stinky**_ clothing for the young heiress to wash.

Reika turned around to face the other whilst listening to him complaining about how she couldn't get simple chores done.

"Hey, why must I be the one who do this? Out of everyone out there?" the girl complained.

"Hah? Your grandfather sent you out here. He said, `_She wants to __**die**__. Get some discipline into my fool granddaughter. Use her however you please` _" replied him halfheartedly.

'_That... stinkin old man..._'

"We're really shorthanded here~ so this is really helping us out~ Well, I'll leave it to you then." the Tōno Yokai replied shortly after that.

"JUST HANG ON A SECOND!" the young heiress yelled to get the Tōno Yokai's attention.

"Why's the washing area... so _**INSANELY **_far away from the drying area?" She yelled out of dissatisfaction while pointing towards the area over the hill.

"Well, you see, not only is the village's full of smoke, but there aren't many places reached by the sunlight. And even those places are full of spirit energies" the yokai explained.

'_Now that I think about it, it's afternoon, but I'm still a youkai..._' She thought whilst staring at her palm. '_Da__mn it._'

After she hung all the laundy, she leaped down the steeps, towards the washing area once again to continue washing the remainder of those dirty clothes that had just arrived not long ago. She squatted and held the wooden plate with her left hand; right hand was used to scrub the fabrics against the plate.

"Laundry sure is pain in the ass..." She grunted to herself. Suddenly, a flash of Tsurara, the Yuki Onna's face appear in her head.

'_It's pretty hard. ...Tsurara, you were always happy to do it for me..._' she thought.

"..."

Suddenly, an idea snapped in her head.

'_Alright... I'm out of here._'

Less that she knew – this idea was the stupidest idea ever.

'_As if I could do this stuff... and n__o one's looking anyway._' She thought as she started to run sneakily, reaching the edge of a cliff. Reika spotted a long, hanged wooden bridge connecting Tōno and the other side. She grinned – thinking it was her victory.

Though, as she stepped on the 'bridge', it disappeared from her sight. The heiress yelped out of surprise, trying to grasp on anything to prevent her from falling down the – who knew how deep the gap was.

'_Crap! It's an illusion?_'

"You're sure very stupid… We already told you there are no way you could leave this village," said a mysterious voice. He threw his two sickles, forming a shockwave that peeled the tree barks – which was instantly, weaved together into a large web.

"It's a _good _thing you were being watched by me, Kamaitachi no Itaku."

The young heiress landed safely on her butt, thanks to the guy who had saved her earlier.

"You really don't know anything about the village of Tōno, do you?" the spiked haired boy climbed down the tree branch he was standing on earlier.

Standing in front of the young heiress, the kamaitachi turned around slightly. It seemed like he was losing his composure. I guess you could blame Reika for that.

The boy, who had introduced himself as Kamaitachi no Itaku, shoved the sickles into the carrier on his back. Clearing his throat, he shot a sharp glance towards the girl once again.

As he was approaching her, Reika carefully crawled through – on the webs of tree barks. Her ruby optics were scanning at each webs to crawl on, fearing the fact that she might fall if she wasn't careful enough.

Reika was near the edge, but then – her legs started to play some tricks. The girl slipped into a surprisingly stupid position; her left leg was trapped in the web, whilst her upper body fell, face first on the ground.

"You're sure **stupid**." He grunted as he reached out for the web around the young heiress's leg, ripping them to free the other's leg.

"Thanks, I really owe you one right there" the young heiress said awkwardly, standing up as she straightened her clothing.

The boy raised his head, his brown optics were following her every movement. Eventually, Itaku turned around. Letting a deep sigh escaped his lips, he spoke.

"This is a '_Hidden Village_', you could say the village itself is a yokai. If you don't have the power to sever fear, you will **never** leave this place for the rest of your life." He explained while walking away.

For some reason, the heiress felt like she **should** follow the kamaitachi. She didn't know herself, but she was certain that this guy could help in – whatever the severing fear skill he meant.

"Uh wait! Kamaitachi or whatever you name was... What was that you said just now? The power to sever fear?"

The boy shot a glance over his shoulder slightly, turning around to face her later on.

"That's what I said! But wait, you still plan on running? Are you some kind of moron? That's impossible for you right now" he added. Reika pouted – she understood where he was coming at.

'_I see... __So this is why you made me stuck out here, old man._'

"Oi! Wait a minute Kamaitachi!" She yelled as the kamaitachi jumped up, leaping from a branch to another swiftly, leaving her behind.

"You should do the laundry first. I'm going to practice." He stated.

"Please teach me the skills you just performed earlier!" Reika grumbled, trying to keep behind the kamaitachi's trail.

It was then, Itaku stopped on his track. The young heiress followed right after and stepped on a branch to stop, though it was barely. Reika was literally flailing to keep herself balanced.

"Idiot." the kamaitachi murmured to himself whilst jerking the obi around Reika's waist to the back, saving the young heiress from an embarrassing fall – again.

Reika perked her head up as her butt had landed on the branch – what the hell is this place? Served in front of her eyes, a big training ground, made out of large tree trunks. The training grounds were divided equally into 4 parts, or so she thought; each part have enough space for the Tōno Yokai to train.

"This's the widest of the few practice battlegrounds in Tono" explained Itaku.

The heiress's ruby optics shifted to one of the battleground, whereas a kappa and amanojaku were facing each other. Claws and Sword met, the two warriors looked like they were fighting with all their might, but Itaku said that they're just using their ordinary moves as they were just warming up.

'_You called this ordinary?_' Thought her.

"The real battle starts here. See, Amezou is _activating his fear_."

"Uoh!" the heiress yelped from the sudden air pressure created by the Kappa. She has a priceless shocked face on her face right now. Probably surprised. The Kamaitachi looks at her and laughs sarcastically.

"Idiot! You're overdoing it! This is what 'Fear' is. Too much trouble to explain in words." Itaku said, not bothering to explain further.

Both of them stepped down off the branch to get a closer look on the training. Eventually, the numa-kappa stopped and looked at the unfamiliar face. He blinked a few times with a question in his head.

"Itaku, who's that girl..? Oh, She's a new face?" the green Numa-kappa asked.

"That's her right? The girl that Itaku being instructed to teach." said a pink haired girl, the Yuki Onna, Reira.

Upon hearing this, the kamaitachi's cheek flushed deep shade of pink.

"You idi – don't tell her!" He yelled.

The rest introduced themselves towards the newbie they've just met. They were surprised that the heiress of the infamous Nura Clan would be training here, alongside them. Reika smiled and bowed slightly towards them, showing a slight gesture of politeness.

"But now, she doesn't even know how to use 'fear'" Itaku snorted sarcastically.

The others turned to look at the future successor of the Nura Clan, disbelieved from the kamaitachi's claim. She placed a hand on her waist, trying to remember what her grandfather used to tell her when she was little.

"Challenge accepted. If you meant the activation of fear, I _can_ do it."

**-n wn-**

The young heiress changed into the clothes that Reira gave her earlier, yellow furisode with an orange scarf. To put it bluntly, it fitted her pretty well. She took the bokutou from Awashima, holding it in her hand whilst walking into the battleground.

"what's with that get up?" Asks the Numa-kappa.

"It's pitiful seeing her in battleground with just sleeping cloth, so I lend her some clothing." Reira replied whilst covering her mouth with a hand, giggling softly.

Itaku, on the other hand, was pretty much astounded by the unspoken beauty of the young heiress. He realized that his cheek had turned hot slightly, but he chose to ignore it knowing the others would make fun of him if he started showing his interest into Reika.

"Show what you got," Itaku challenged.

The ¼ youkai's eyes fluttered close. Holding the hilt of her bokutou in her two hands, trying to remember what her grandfather used to tell her as she tried to calm down.

'_Come on grandpa_...' thought her. This was actually a battle for her pride as the successor of the Nura Clan. She didn't want the others to look down on the female yakuza, just because she lack experience.

'_Meikyou Shisui_'

Everyone, even Itaku were surprised that the heiress had suddenly disappear from their sight. Was this… Nurarihyon's fear? Awashima and Reira went into a defensive mode; they were taken by Reika's fear.

"Stop! It's me who's battling her!" Itaku yelled.

'_I can remember how the old man did this. If there was__ a way to activate fear, this must be it._' She thought to herself.

"_**Activating fear**__'s, Hatsu. __**Transfer**__, Hyoui!_"

Upon hearing this, her ruby eyes widened from the changes in the Kamaitachi's eyes – noticing the fear that was being concentrated on his sickles.

_#SLASH BANG_

Loud slashing and thud could be heard from behind her. She turned around, but stopped as she felt some sharp pain on her shoulders. She was dumbfounded by the strength of the Kamaitachi. She fell on her knees, her fingers were balled into a fist, whilst her left hand were covering the wound on her shoulder.

"You're overdoing it Itaku!"

"Are you trying to destroy the training ground again?" Reira sighed, though she was not surprised by the 'usual' damage that Itaku had done.

"Without this... I can't defeat those guys at Kyoto!" the young heiress said. The others turned around and looked at her in surprise.

'_Kyoto?_' Itaku thought.

"Please, teach me that!" She asked, with some hint of desperation in her tone. Deep frown had formed on her face.

Itaku glanced down towards the desperate young heiress. What made Reika so willing to take a risk to go to Kyoto? He didn't questioned anything, though he was amazed by the girl's determination.

"Looks like you're willing to die trying. _Can_ you do it?" the kamaitachi questioned. He wondered, how far could her determination bring her?

"Compared to going there and dying as a weakling, this is no big deal. I'm willing to stake my life going to battle in Kyoto.." Replied her.

He smirked upon hearing her declaration. Closing his eyes whilst lending the heiress a hand, he sighed. He might be merciless as a trainer, respecting the other as a woman – or a girl would be a must, as there were no warrior that should let a girl kneeling before them.

"**Very well.**"

**-n wn-**

"She _can't_ do that in one full day. She's just isn't good at that, isn't she?" Dohiko the Futtachi complained as they were outside the main house, sitting in the garden, eating.

"She's full of cuts." Reira replied whilst setting a tray with drinks next to Amezou.

Yukari in the other hand, had set the tray with onigiri next to Reika before sitting next to her. They were basically sitting on the garden's rocks, in a somewhat straight line, eating their supper while taking a breather after a long training session.

The young heiress leaned to the back slightly, sighing deeply as a sign, 'This day is finally over.'

"Ah! Amezou! You took Reika's part!" gasped Reira as she noticed there was no onigiri left on the tray.

The surprised Numa-kappa jolted in surprise, incidentally dropped the onigiri he was holding in his hand onto the sand ground. Reika blinked.

"Ah, it's okay! I'm still full anyway!" She replied.

As if it was a perfect timing like those in manga and anime, her empty stomach growled soon after. It was then, someone had shoved her side slightly – trying to get her attention. She turned around, just to see the kamaitachi holding out the second onigiri of his own part to the heiress.

She didn't refused. She took the offer silently, though she had smiled awkwardly as a thank you.

The two of them seemed like they refused to look at each other. Both of them had those soft red shade, smeared on their cheeks. Awashima and Reira noticed the suspicious behaviour of those two, they just decided to ignore it.

"Spring is coming~" Awashima sang with a slight hint of sarcastic could be heard in her tone – to Itaku's ears at least.

"Spring? Isn't it Summer already?" Asked the innocent, young heiress.

The female Awashima bursted into laughter. She shook her head as a gesture that it was nothing to be bothered about – though he had never stopped laughing.

"Those skills really aren't easy to pick up in one day huh." Reika mumbled. Ignoring the confusion in her head from the earlier confusion whilst eating her onigiri.

"Really? I mastered it when I was five. And we're all youkai, certainly it's in our nature." the Numa-kappa replied rather triumphantly.

"R-really..?" She said, or more like muttered – disbelieved.

"So, what does Reika-chan want to achieve by going to Kyoto anyway?" the Yuki Onna asks.

"They said the 'feared one' has been reincarnated, the place would be dangerous!"

"Yeah... Dangerous for Yura _a__t least_."

"Yura? A woman?"

"Is she pretty?"

"Uhm, she's so-so."

"That girl endangered herself to save me, though there's _another_ reason too..."

"_D-dad..." Young Reika shivered, shocked to see the frail side of father – collapsing before her eyes._

_Rihan was a very good father. He had spoiled Reika a lot and taught her a lot of stuff. He was the one who had brought the Nura Clan to the Golden Age in the Edo period._

_The strongest youkai._

"_Hm, what's this? I thought I have cursed his bloodline that he could nev__er have a child."_

_Her eyes widened, taking few steps back as a young – black haired girl started to approach her._

"_Another one with a human." the girl clicked her tongue as a sign of annoyance._

"_Run Reika!"_

_Young Reika's memories were fabricated, barely she could remember what had happened..._

_She was a child, yet she knew –_

_She had lost someone who was very important to her._

"Hagoromo Kitsune..."

**-n wn-**

"That face, no matter how hard I'm trying to forget, I just couldn't. My _worst_ memory..."

Reika who was leaping over the slimy rocks along the riverbanks stopped on her tracks as she heard this. He ruby optics shifted to look at the three males in front of her. She has no idea who they were.

"Huh?" the young heiress looks at the older male with longer, grey hair. She didn't understand where he was coming at.

Reika's eyes widened. She jumped to the back in reflect as she felt a threatening figure approached. She dodged that safely, but what if she didn't? She might be dead, from being crushed.

"Who're you? You're the child who was born with that princess? ...No wait..., I don't feel a 400 years presence from you." Namely Kidoumaru, the older Kyoto Yokai said.

"Ah, you're the grandchild? The age should be near," added him.

Reika took a step to her back, she knew if she wasn't careful enough – she would be dead.

"_That won't do. Everyone's fear is diffe__rent." Said the kamaitachi, who was__ holding his two sickle in his hand__s__, looking at the heiress __who was __hanging in the net made out of tree barks._

"_Converting fear into a __skill requires you to make use of the special attribute available only to your type of youkai__." the Kamaitachi explained__._

"_Kappa's skill involving water, and Yuki Onna manip__ulate materialized ice and snow,__" added him as he __towards the battleground, whereas__ A__mezou and Awashima__ were training._

_Amezou crossed his arms into those infamous Ultraman handsign – water flowed out from it, hitting Awashima directly. Awashima was of course, not amused._

"_So, __**what **__kind of youkai is the Nurarihyon?" __the Zashiki-warashi, Yukari asked._

_Reika stared into the space whilst the other two were anticipating her answer._

"_Nurarihyon... Is a youkai that goes into people's houses unnoticed and drinks their tea. He's also the supreme commander of youkai." She explain__ed, sounding rather confident with the answer._

_She knew it wasn't. She barely had any idea – about Nurarihyon. About her own grandfather. _

_The bobbed haired girl stares at her, with a confused face._

"_I find it hard to understand." She said._

_The kamaitachi crossed his arms, and stared at the young heiress, slightly annoyed by her answer._

"_That's ambiguous! You're kidding, right?" __he spat__. Her explanation d__idn't made__ grasping her attribute any easier._

"_It's not my fault. I'm __**not**_ _kidding!"__ She replied, half annoyed herself._

_'In the blood of Nurarihyon runs a true identity.'_

'Remember it. You've _**seen**_ it once Reika!'

Reika's hand quickly searched for something that she could use to fight. Converting her eyes towards the river, her hand accidentally nudged a large wooden stick.

The young heiress got distracted. She had spotted something else.

'_This is...!_' She thought.

_#Slash!_

Not noticing the slashing sound, the young hairess's mind had flown somewhere else. Itaku, the Kamaitachi had come to save her – yet again.

"What are you trying to do? **Listen**, if you mess with our land, Mr. Kyo Youkai..."

"You will be _killed_." Itaku warned. The three Kyoto Youkai seemed to not know where they belong.

"Wait, Itaku..." Reika nudged the boy, his expression seemed to loosen up a bit. He glanced to the side slightly to look at the young heiress.

"He... is my foe." the young heiress said whilst pulling the wooden stick, which was stucked in between the river's rocks for who knows how long.

She stood up, staring straight into Kidomaru's eyes. She held the wooden stick up, treating it as a replacement for her Nenekirimaru.

"I remember it now... _Kyoka Suigetsu_."

The Kamaitachi had the sickle bitten at his mouth, gave his full attention towards Reika now. He noticed that the feeling that the young heiress submitted wasn't fear, but something completely different.

He was interested to see, what the young heiress had just learnt.

The larger youkai leaped and spun around, using his technique to murder the young Nurarihyon heiress. His claw had cut through her – but... She disappeared.

The other Kyo Youkai went right behind Reika, slaying his knife right to the heiress's head – but again, it cut through her. They were intimidated by her skill. It was because, they could sense her presence, but they couldn't even lay a finger on her.

Kidoumaru on the other hand, knew this trick. He knew that the other two wouldn't stand any chance with their current condition. Just then, he detected the young heiress who had charged towards the two Kyoto Youkai fast – taking them down with the deadly weapon; the tree branch.

A strong aftershock from the attack could be felt by the veteran. He was surprised. To think that such young yokai did this…

Even himself had to held up his sword to this face level to protect himself from the aftershock, made by the young heiress.

The attack even cut through the village's fear.

"I once asked my grandpa, what kind of youkai is Nurarihyon..." Reika said as she stepped on the rocks nearby. Itaku, who was rather dumbfounded from the crazy strength of the young girl shifted his mahogany optics to look at the young heiress once again.

"That old man started acting full of himself, and said this – Nurarihyon is a '_flower reflected in t__he mirror, the moon floating on top of water_'. In other words, Kyoka Suigetsu. An ayakashi who is the embodiment of dreams and illusions..." She explained.

She brought the broken wooden stick up – seemed like it could only thus far.

As her mind was averted to the stick, the Kyo Youkai, Kidomaru was ready to take her down.

"**DON'T RELEASE YOUR FEAR,**** REIKA!**" The kamaitachi yelled, hoping that Reika noticed the danger preaching her.

'_Crap!_' Reika cursed whilst turning around, facing the veteran Kyo Youkai with the earlier broken stick. She gritted her teeth, praying that this wouldn't be the last time she saw the light.

_#Thud!_

Reika fell down on the river banks. A bigger figure had toppled her. His one hand was wrapped, secured behind her back. The other hand was on the side, trying to keep himself up so he wouldn't fall and crush the young heiress.

"I-Itaku" gasped her in surprise.

Her eyes widened, staring into the eye of Kidoumaru – whom was trapped in the ice fortress made by the Yuki Onna, Reira. Reira warned the Kyo Youkai. She demanded an apology or die in the ice fortress.

Alas, the veteran youkai managed to cut through the ice.

He said that he wasn't meant to bring any harm to Tono Village, but if any of the Tono youkai tried to aid the Nurarihyon family, they will be slaughtered.

"Oi... K-kamaitachi... You okay?" She asked, shifting so she could look at his face but it was to no avail. His face was buried into her neck, the grip behind her tightened.

He let go not long after and shot back up.

_What had just happened?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Hey people, I'm back, I'm not dead. I've recently started to feel slightly motivated to ****continue my story. **ಠ/v/ಠ **Though for now, I'll be editing the earlier chapters first, so it would be easier for the newer readers to read it. I'm so sorry I had left the story hanging – I didn't intend to but I won't make any excuses. LOL.**

**Though, to be ****honest, I had been quite unmotivated to do anything back then. Looking back at the reviews left by my readers made me realized that, even though my grammar sucked, there were still... few people anticipating the story to be updated.**

**Personally, I thank yo****u – to the little group of people.**


	2. Goodbye Tono! Setting out to Kyoto!

**A/N:** I think there're a lot of Itaku's POV here for some reason rofl. I need to put more romance for Itaku and Reika.. o_o I had to review this story over and over again because of lack explanation I think? Something is wrong, but I don't know what it is D;

**Warnings:** Genderswitch, might bore you at certain point.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

**Summary: **Reika and her new friends from Tono Village are setting out to Kyoto now! But before that, there're some things that she need to do at home.

* * *

><p><em>What just happened?'<em>

**XXXXX**

"_He he~! Not bad Reika-chan~!" Numa-kappa said. He laid on his stomach, staffing his chin using his palm while watching the heiress and the kamaitachi's training. _

"_Reika! We've got major trouble!"_

_The three of them turned to look at Awashima. He ran towards the battleground, his face looked pale and worry was written on his face._

"_We received a message from Tono Folk heading towards Kyoto. The onmyouji have being wiped out!"_

"_Kyoto... Is gonna fall to Hagoromo Kitsune!"_

**XXXXX**

It's lunch time. Itaku seems like he couldn't sit still for a few minutes. What's in his mind is the young heiress, heading towards Kyoto. He knows, that the youkai around the capital aren't the one they should take lightly, but could the Nura Clan compete with them?

**Itaku's POV –**

'_Kyoto huh..._'

" 'Scuse the interruption." A very familiar voice could be heard, along with footsteps into the dining hall. Reika, who's the young heiress of the Nura Clan walks in, with the usual lazy expression plastered on her face.

Reika already changed into another kimono. Her long white and black hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She even has her one arm tucking inside her haori.

"Reika?" Awashima jolts in surprise, so does Amezou and Dohiko.

Everyone in the dining hall questions, where the hell did she came from – suddenly appearing out of no where. They didn't heard any door sliding open or close at all. Awashima seems to be nagging at Reika at his seat, saying that she's still loafing around Tono, instead of leaving at once to Kyoto. I grunts slightly, telling Awashima to shut up.

"I knew for sure she could come and go as she pleases, but the fact that she's not dead means... she must have grown a little stronger, hm?" the Tono Youkai's Commander, Akagappa says.

Reika bows while kneeling down, showing her respect towards the Commander. She's thanking him and everyone for training her, even for a short time. She sure **did **became stronger with that short time period.

"To think you'd come here and address us so dutifully, did you have to learn some social skills to get by in Tono?" Akagappa asks while laughing.

"Your grandfather probably just made you listen to his heroic tales all the time. Though in reality, ever since they lost the previous head, the Nura Clan has been steadily weakening..." he adds again.

I shifts and looks at the girl now, wondering what she's about to say. It might be humiliating after all, for a clan that used to be the strongest clan in the youkai world were told that they're weakening. It's the same as they're calling the Nura Clan as inferior from how they used to be long ago.

"8 years ago, when my father was killed before my own eyes.. I most likely encountered Hagoromo Kitsune." She says, looking at Akagappa straight into his eyes.

"That's why, I wanted to go to Kyoto and meet that woman, and to sever these deep-running ties between us!" She explains.

Everyone begins to questions and laughs at her. They says that she would never make it deep into Kyoto, let alone for her blade to reach Hagoromo Kitsune. But she did nothing but to reply to the insult with a big, triumphant grin on her face.

"What's that? You mean there's no one here who wants to see me when I become the Master of All Spirits from the best seat in the house, right up front?" She asks.

The youkai seems to be confused. _What the hell is she talking about?_ They say. Though, I managed to get a grasp on what she's talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"Hiding up here in the mountains acting all high and mighty, that just makes you a big fish in a small pond. What I'm asking... if anyone here has got the balls to come with me to Kyoto." She replies.

She sounds very proud, very much like a supreme commander herself. I releases a sigh of relief while smiling slightly from her action. The Tono Youkai seems to hate how she's talking, even the Kappainu hates it and started to charges at her – but she disappears, just like last time. She reappears and revealed that she's sitting on Akagappa's lap, pouring the sake into his cup, while smirking.

"Thanks for taking care of me. No, if you'll excuse me..." She said, disappearing again in the midst of air, but reappearing at the door, walking to make her own way out from this village.

'_Just where did you got this baseless confidence?_'

I closes my eyes, listening to the ruckus, but I couldn't get my ears off Akagappa's chat.

"Reika... she's just like him, you know."

"Eh?"

"Strolling in idly... growing stronger in the blink of an eye... Then just up and leaving, taking friends back with him." Akagappa says while watching the fading back of the young heiress.

"Friends? As if anyone from Tono would go with him!" the kappa next to Akagappa says in annoyance.

Akagappa closes his eyes and sips on his sake which poured by Reika not long ago.

"If I hadn't been a commander back then, I would have liked to have gone with him too..."

With that, I opens my eyes and walks in front of Tono, kneeling to give respect before heading out from the dining hall. I could hear Awashima and the other gasping in surprise, but I choose to ignore it. Instead, I turn around and look at them. Seriously, they should be more honest to themselves.

"I know you want to come too." I say while smirking at them.

I know, the best way to watch her become the Lord of Pandemonium is by being on her side. I think, I might have taken a liking to her as well.

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

The young heiress releases a long relieved sigh. Finally she could break free from the village that she wanted to run from, the first day she got here. She wonders around at the river bank – noticing how cold it is even tho it's still summer. Then, she tucks her hands into her sleeves. She should be happy that she could get out from this village soon, but somehow she feels that she forgot about something.

She grunted slightly, looking down at the ground while thinking. She then sighs again.

A rattling sounds snaps her out from her long thought. She turned around, receiving whatever being thrown to her – Nenekirimaru, the onmyouji blade that she inherited from her father, Rihan, who got it from his grandfather, Nurarihyon.

"Nenekirimaru! I totally forgot that they were gonna give it back when I left the village~" She said in amusement.

She grins widely, bringing nenekirimaru to her throat level, to look at it carefully – just then she noticed the two youkai that brought her to the village.

"Namahage..." She said in surprise.

"If you're gonna thank us, now's your chance. Though we did just lay all our chores on you at once..." He said.

That breaks the awkward speech. Reika bursts into laughter after a short pause from after Namahage's speech. She smiles and nods slightly, tilting her head to the side while looking at him.

"Ah, thanks for everything." She said.

"Reika.."

Her head perks up once she heard the voice, It's so familiar.

"Awashima?" her eyes reflects a glimpse of happiness.

"We won't be exchanging sakazuki with anyone. But even so, you don't have enough strength. If you ask 'please I'm begging you, lend me your aid!' then... I guess, we'll think bout it." He said while looking at the young heiress from behind the red and blue youkai.

Reika stares at him silently, but it's not long after that she gives her reply.

"Oh yeahh! That would be great!" She said cheerfully.

Awashima nearly drop on his butt upon hearing this. Honestly speaking, he thought that Reika's going to open a cool speech, thanking them for coming or something, but that girl... she just goes straight to the point.

"It'd be awesome if you guys joined my Hyakki!" She says.

"Oi oi.. Reika.." Awashima mumbles.

"Goodness, she's so frank..." Says Reira.

"What do we do?" Awashima mumbles to Amezou. Somehow, he just couldn't put his decision straight too.

"What do we do? We promised we'd go if Reika said so, right?" Amezou replies, protesting from Awashima's behaviour. They would never take back their words. They know themselves that they wants to follow Reika.

"Come on then, hurry up and get ready! We're leaving!" the young heiress commanded, somehow, she's behaving like an old mother, nagging the other youkai to move their butt.

Though something is off. Reika notices the other person isn't here. She looks around, wondering if he would come or not. It would be a real shame if he wouldn't come though, because they just started to be close with each other, and their feelings are developing quite slowly for a fanfiction.

_**(A/N: Hahah :D I tend to write kinda Gintama-ish like. Don't bother the RL reference!)**_

"Aren't I always telling you never to disperse your fear?"

She blinks at the view of a sickle's blade pointing at her neck. She swallows her saliva, stepping to the back while hoping that her throat won't be incidentally slit by the sharp blade. Unconditionally, the small back of hers hit Itaku's broad chest, but of course, it's only Itaku who's feeling the slight tense from it.

_That's him._

"Kamaitachi..."

"You'd already have been dead in Tono 200 times over by now. You're always getting into troubles..." He added, somewhat whispering the last part to her ears. She turns around, looking into the mahogany optics of the Kamaitachi, smiling sweetly.

"Continue your role as my instructor then." she said.

**Itaku's POV –**

I held my sickle up to Reika's neck, warning what I've taught her since she trained in Tono. She just don't get it huh? Somehow this got in my vein.

The young heiress steps back so she would be in a safe distance from my sickle, but eventually, her back hit my chest.

_Idiot,_

"You'd already have been dead in Tono 200 times over by now." I warned her. I lower my head so my lips would be nearly by her ears –

"You're always getting into troubles..." I whispered softly in her ears. I am slightly annoyed from her carefree attitude, but somehow, that's what great about her. She turns around too look at me. Her captivating ruby hues are hard to be ignored. Just after a brief seconds, a soft smile carves on the pink lips of hers.

"Continue being my instructor then." She says to me.

"Very well." I replies shortly after.

_If you could hear my heartbeat right now..._

She pushes my hand softly and fixes her kimono before bending her slender body to pick a tree branch on the ground. I start to be questioning her – Why won't she use Nenekirimaru to cut the fear of this village?

"This guy... is a sword for cutting through bigger ayakashi. For the village's fear... this partner here'll be enough." She said proudly.

"Someone's showing off." I snickers.

The only reply she gives me is her triumphant smile.

_You would laugh at how messy it's beating..._

"Let's go! This is goodbye, Tono!" She says while cutting through the village's fear.

Bringing her new friends along, at last, onwards to Kyoto. Amezou and Awashima are really excited from this travel, since they never been outside Tono before.

Well, actually – anyone would be as excited as them too. Including me of course.

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

After that, the seven of them sets out to Ukiyoe Town. Currently they're rushing so they would arrive as early as possible, but -

"Reika! Faster!"

"Wh-aaaa! Can't we take a break and wait till night?"

"A youkai doesn't wait! Let's move fast!"

Reika grunts from her companion's comment. Reika, the young heiress of the Nurarihyon is taking her day form – her hair are waist length chestnut coloured, while her eyes are amber, the significant sign of the Nura's family head. Of course as a human, she can't run as fast as the youkai, so she's currently left behind.

"Like this will be faster." the kamaitachi, who's taking a day form too as a weasel, picks the 13 years old heiress into his arms and leaps on the tree branches.

"Wait! This is embarrassing! Put me down Kamaitachi!" She yelps while her face turns bright red, just like a strawberry.

Of course, Itaku the Kamaitachi is ignoring her request. If anyone would ask, he would just reply with she's being slow, but truthfully: he is enjoying the princess clinging into him.

She swears – she could hear his chuckle.

**XXXXX**

"We've arrived at the Nura house!" the loud night Awashima said. Amezou looks around while laughing like a freak, probably excited because he haven't been outside Tono for a long time.

"Oi, Reika... It's nighttime already because you keep delaying us." The kamaitachi grumble behind the young heiress, somehow not really pleased from how late they arrived here.

"Well, that couldn't be helped! You know she turns into a human in daytime! You turn into a weasel don't you?" Reira said.

"They are so cute together~" said Yukari – or more like; she's teasing Reika and Itaku, since they do looks cute together.

The two of them stares at each other for a brief second. She then sticks her tongue out to him before turning around while crossing her arms on her chest. He was a bit surprised from her action, yet he couldn't help but to smile slightly to himself when she did that.

"Welcome home Reika-sama! Who are these people? Those not of the Nura Clan may not enter this main house!" Kurotabo the Nura Clan's Special Attack Squad Chief said – or announce.

At the side, Yukari is standing in front of Natto-Kozo. She put her hand on her mouth like usual, her big, frog like eyes aren't shifting from the little Natto-Kozo. Though, he knows what she's about to say already.

"You... Kinda stinks..."

"You just come straight out and say it, don't you, Nee-chan..?" Natto-Kozo said while having his small hand behind his head, insulted from what the little Zashiki-warashi said.

"I'll show you what hell smells like!" He yells while chasing Yukari around.

To Reika's impression, it seems that the Tono Youkai are getting along with the Nura Clan Youkai. She now turning her glance towards the sakura tree's branch, where Itaku's sitting on currently. From his actions, there's a slight threat of him breaking the branches of the beautiful tree. Reika only manages to sweat drop comically from this.

"Reika-sama...? Wh-what's going on here?" the neckless youkai, Kubinashi, and the hair youkai, Kejoro marches towards her, wondering what could cause ruckus in the Nura Clan's main house right now.

"Oh, they're from Tono. I just need to go say Hi to the old man, so keep an eye on them for me, would you?" the young heiress replies while looking at her two babysitters.

"R-reika-sama.. So, you're going to Kyoto?" Kubinashi asks.

"Yeah, so anyone who have exchanged sakazuki with me, get yourselves ready." She commands.

Reika steps towards the altar room, the place where she commonly found her grandfather. Her heart's beating fast right now. She's hoping that her grandfather would let her go to Kyoto, because after all the troubles she's been through, there's no way she's going back to Tono Village once again. She slides the shoji screen door opens, revealing Nurarihyon the Commander who has been expecting her to come.

"So, have you learned anything?" Nurarihyon, the grandfather asks her granddaughter. He knows, he doesn't send her to Tono for nothing.

"Who knows? At any rate, maybe I now understand... What kind of youkai 'Nurarihyon' is..." She replies calmly, her hands tucked into her sleeves.

"Is that so? Does that mean..."

"Yeah, I'm setting out for Kyoto now."

Nurarihyon took a flash step and slashed his sword towards his granddaughter, but it cuts through. Reika now managed to dodge critical attack by her own Kyoka Suigetsu – thanks to the help of her friends.

"Oho~ You're pretty good at that!" Nurarihyon praises while watching her granddaughter re-appears in front of the altar. He put his sword on his shoulder while grinning widely.

"Well, do what you want. You can bring me back some yatsuhashi." He said slyly.

"... That's it...?" Reika asks, nearly disbelieved from her grandfather's agreement.

**XXXXXX**

'_Go there and cut the ties – when you get back, you'll be the third._'

Her grandfather's voice rings in her head as she steps out from the parlor.

_'Oh, that's right! Once you get to Kyoto, you should go see Hidemoto.'_

_'Who's that?'_

_'Just ask someone, like that onmyouji girl.'_

_'Heh, you can get the feast preparations going and wait for me.' She replies with a soft smiles. She wouldn't let the pride of Nurarihyon down from losing in Kyoto._

"You guys get along pretty well, aren't you?" She asks – or claims, judging from how the Nura Youkai and Tono Youkai are 'getting along well' from her eyes.

"Ah, Reika. Are we going to Kyoto now?" Awashima asks, releasing Kurotabo's cheek that has been pinched for a while now.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She grins widely, putting her usual black haori over her shoulder.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Nurarihyon yells suddenly as he slam the door open.

Reika nearly fall down from the aftershock of her grandfather's yelling, but she just give him a slight growl of annoyance. Such a mood killer.

"...Old man? What's the deal.. I've told you not to kill the vibe like that..." Reika mumbles.

"I've got something good to show you lot. I've called for them, so they'll be here in a second." Nurarihyon explained while pointing his thumb up, gesturing that they should look up above.

"H-HUH~~~~?" Awashima, Reira and Amezou said in synch.

Well, you see – Who the hell wouldn't get surprised from a VERY big floating ship? The ship shades nearly everything in the main house. It is very big. Reika is speechless. What she could do was only to look up with her eyes widen comically.

"A Nura Clan specialty! The strategic air spirit fortified 'Takarabune'! They're essential for far-off excursions... We've had them for ages!" Nurarihyon exclaimed proudly while his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Reika... It feels great looking down from above~~ Down on Kyoto that is!" He added.

"W-whoaaa" Awashima turns slightly pale from this – Nura clan is a surprising clan after all.

"That's the Nura Clan for you... How can people say they're on the way down?" Amezou added – just to add more ego to the old man; Nurarihyon.

"Old man... I had no idea we had those things.." Reika said, half surprised, half annoyed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Suddenly feel motivated to continue on writing the story. 11:08pm, still reviewing. e.e You know, I typed a lot, but my fingers are still chubby. Seems like my boyfriend lied about typing is a kind of exercise for the fingers.**

**R&R please. You people who're silent readers. I still love you guys tho. (TT A TT " )**


	3. PS: Yakuza aren't Samurai

**A/N: Yesterday I realized something fatal to my story. I noticed that I gave the wrong description about Reika's eyes and Itaku's hair at first chapter. Incidentally, I typed her eyes were mahogany and his eyes were chestnut. After noticing this, I couldn't help but to facepalm at my failure.**

**Warnings:** Genderswitch, some curses (O A O # )

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

**Summary:** On their ride to Kyoto, it seems that Itaku and Kubinashi are arguing about something.

* * *

><p>"Old man... I had no idea we had those things.." Reika said, half surprised, half annoyed.<p>

**XXXXX**

"Right, -ahem-... can we begin, Tono Group? First, I thought I'd explain a little about the Nura Clan Organization... – "

It was later on, in the ship's meeting room – Kurotabo's explaining to the Tono Youkai about the basic things in Nura Clan. Reika in the other hand, disinterested. She just sit with her arms inside her sleeve, her eyes closed, pretty much exhausted from the long talking.

"So I, Kurotabo will be taking on the role of staff member. Is that acceptable Reika-sama?" The jet, long haired male said while grinning cheerfully towards the young heiress.

"... fine by me." Reika replies with her usual lazy expression.

"Toono Group, once we arrive in Kyoto, your role will be – "

BAM! _**(A/N: bahha~ SFX when Awashima hits the table.)**_

"Hang on a second! Why're you treating us like your subordinates?" Awashima groans, dissatisfied.

Kejoro, Kubinashi, Reika and Kurotabo – all turns their glance to look at the loud mouthed night form Awashima.

"I was under the impression that you people had exchanged sakazuki with Reika-sama...?" Kurotabo replies, trying to defend himself from Awashima.

"Sakazuki? Why the hell would we do that? Are you shitting me? Tono would never exchange sakazuki with anyone!" Awashima replies again but this time, a tad louder than before.

"Then... Why did you come with us?" Kurotabo asks. Confusion could be seen written on his face.

"Whaaat? I'll tell you why! ...Uh... you see... It's because... You know..." He replies but somehow he never manages to get the answer.

The kamaitachi is sighing deeply from Awashima's idiocy. He closes his eyes and shifts his legs so he would be sitting indian style with his right leg up. His right hand resting on his knee.

"Reika still can't completely control her Hatsu and Hyoui... Things would be uncertain at best if we weren't here." Itaku replies coldly.

The young heiress pinches the bridge of her nose to ease her headache from the immature fight between her clan and Tono Youkai. She actually doesn't even has any idea why this fight's happening. Just then, Kubinashi pats her shoulder and smiles softly at her like he always does to their precious heiress.

"Reika-sama, could I trouble you to step outside for a moment?" He said with a suspicious smile on his lips.

Reika stands up and walks out from the room. She turns around – just to see the shouji screen door sliding close before her. Of course, she's curious about what her babysitter; Kubinashi wanted to talk about to the others, but it the other hand it might be better to not know what he's going to say.

You see, Kubinashi could be a scary cannibalistic spartan youkai sometimes. Just that Reika has never see that part of him yet. _**(A/N: it means he's scary.)**_

"Does he wanna say stuff that could get him in trouble?"

**Itaku's POV – **

As the neckless youkai asks Reika to step out from the room, his expression towards us changed completely. That youkai... person somehow opening a story about the glory of Nura Clan many years back then. Just to be honest, I don't really care about the past.

"We don't care about your old tales. What's going to happen now? I'm worried that you people are just weighing her down." I say with a hint of annoyance in my words.

The neckless youkai looks down at me sharply. I know, he's trying to resist his anger towards us.

"The young head of the youkai yakuza doesn't even know about Hatsu and Hyoui! Why has nobody taught her?" I add.

"The answer to that is... no one knows how to use them. I can't accept her standing as the head of a clan like that." I say once again – but that just triggers to the neckless youkai's anger.

"Even ignorance can lose it's charm when it exists in excess. Don't you ever learn that in Tono?" Kubinashi asks while fiddling with his red thread. It's safe to say that he's very pissed right now.

"You who carry a sickle on your back. I'll teach you some manners. Step forward." He adds with a death glare, challenging me for a fight.

Of course the hair yokai tries to calm him down, or more like asking him to resist his urge to attack, but he chooses to ignore her. All he did was keeping his glare towards me. Amusing.

I smirked at the neckless youkai, which made him more irked.

"We are superior. Go ahead and Try, if you think you can beat us."

'_Just see how much do you think you can resist the truth. The truth that you're just weighing Reika down._'

**End of POV – **

Meanwhile, everyone outside are having so much fun. Floating on the sky at night, drinking sake while chatting. The Tono Yokai that isn't in the meeting room fits in surprisingly well with the Nura Clan Youkai that they even laugh with each other while exchanging stories. Just as then, a loud crashing noise could be heard from above them.

"What was that?" Natto-Kozo, Amezou and Ko-Oni jolted from the huge surprise, while Kappa who's laying lazily at the side of the ship just perks his head up – in surprise, of course.

"Kubinashi, you idiot!" Kejoro yells.

"He snapped... That Itaku's stubborn too!" Awashima adds.

This just proves that both of Kubinashi and Itaku are not so brainless, yet short tempered guy.

In the other hand, Reika is still waiting patiently in front of the meeting room, but somehow there's a loud that is causing a major disruption amongst the youkai. She then decides to follow the crowd, checking on what could actually be causing this chaos.

"What just happened?" She asks.

Is it just me or she's being left behind? _**(A/N: Lol XD)**_

**XXXXX**

"I'll explain one thing about my fear. That which you from Tono call Hyoui is what makes my string 'Kokugen' hard like a chain. But naturally, it's still 'string'." Kubinashi explains while having the kamaitachi's neck, legs and hands strangling in his strings.

"First, how about you tell me your name? And then you can apologize for your mockery of the Nura Clan. Once you've learn your place, you'll behave." Kubinashi adds, ignoring Kojoro who's telling him to stop.

The kamaitachi grits his teeth, holding his hand and sickle up to his neck level while staring straight at his neckless opponent.

"Like hell... I will... Tono yields to no one!" He bawls.

The kamaitachi's eyes widen, spinning around as he transforms into his day form – a weasel. Their fights eventually rocks the ship about, and Reika could feel this. She walks out from the main hall to the front entrance, her eyes spotting Awashima nearby.

"What's going on?" She asks to the night form Awashima as she approaches him.

Awashima pointed towards the two youkai, fighting on the ship, like they don't care if this ship going to descend or something.

"Kubinashi! Itaku! Are you stupi – "

"HEY ASSHOLES! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"! Huh" Reika jolts in surprise as another voice overwhelms her own yells.

"You're gonna bust up the boat before we even get to Kyoto, you morons!" the bird youkai, Zen, squatting on top of the boat's roof while holding a bamboo filled with ointment before splashing it on top of the two hot tempered youkai.

Reika turns around to look at the very familiar face of her sworn brother. She's apparently too surprised to say anything, and she's not the only one. The splashed ointment apparently brought the other two back to a better state of mind. They even starting to look around, especially on their wet clothing.

"Don't worry, Kubinashi! That's not my poison. It's just an ointment!" Zen yells, getting worked up because of the two fools.

"This ends now! I got no more medicine to waste healing fools who fight their own allies!" The male with khaki short hair yells again.

WHACK!

"Shit that hurt..."

Zen fall on his knees, his hand covering the back part of his head, where he just got punched. Reika has a really pissed face, the top part of her face went dark while a vein pops out on her cheek and it's twitching comically.

"... What are you doing here, Zen." She says while cracking her knuckles.

"Reika, you little shit... You tried to leave me behind again, didn't you!" He turns around, recovering from the sharp pain on his head quickly and stands up.

"I've been stuck at the main house until now!" he adds.

"You've got a weak constitution! I even asked Jiaying to take care of you!"

_**(A/N: Jiaying is an OC character in Guardian Wings)**_

"Like I said, it's not like I'm gonna up and die tomorrow! Jiaying even allowed me to be here!" Zen persisted.

"Of course I would if you strangles way too much, idiot. Just die from falling off cliff unprotected, idiot." says Jiaying who happens to be nearby Reika.

The figure who seems pretty much nearly the same height as Reika's day form smiles, but there's a hint of annoyance and death threat by her smile. For a brief second Zen thought that he just saw a devil incarnation of a human.

"Well, just see if I care, if you start puking up blood and collapse.." Reika sighs while threatening the bird youkai.

"Don't be stupid! There's nothing I want more than this! I wouldn't miss seeing you become the third for anything~!" Zen replied cheerfully while grinning widely.

His actions actually made the young heiress feels pretty much important, but at the same time, it's not good for his health if he keeps wondering about. She just tucks her right hand into her kimono, looking to the side, where the kamaitachi and the neckless youkai is.

Itaku who just transforms back to his human form stares back at the young heiress, but then jolted from Kejoro's tap on his shoulder.

"Okay you two. You've both been overpowered by Zen's fear. … so, this match ends draw due to injuries!" She announces.

"I'm Kamaitachi no Itaku."

Itaku says as he stands up, he then sighs slightly to himself. Upon hearing this, Kubinashi smiles slightly. The kamaitachi tries to make his way to the main hall, but he stops on his track as Zen is staring at him like he's a weird creature in circus.

"So you're one of those Tono lot, eh? Oi oi, you've got one hell of a mean look in your eyes, kid." Zen says.

"... what?" Itaku replies – confused.

"I'm counting on you, Jiaying!"

The kamaitachi turns to look at where the familiar voice is coming from. He then notices Reika approaching him, she seems slightly pissed, but she tries to keep her anger inside. He closes his eyes, somewhat knowing what she's about to say.

"Mr. Huge Idiot, you okay?" she asks.

_Eh?_

He blinks while staring at the slightly shorter female, somewhat that thing comes unexpectedly.

"I thought you're going to lecture me about earlier." he mumbles.

Reika's upper half face turns dark while a vein pops comically on her cheek like earlier. He whacks the kamaitachi on his head with her pissed – somehow it's like Deja Vu to what happened towards Zen earlier.

Itaku put his hand on his head, but he's not going to say anything as he's aware that it was his fault.

"So you DO know it you and Kubinashi's fault. Honestly I don't think the Earth is big enough to be a battleground for you and Kubinashi either." she says sarcastically.

"You were worried?" he asks.

The kamaitachi watches as she scratches her own head while grunting to herself, somehow to his opinion – avoiding to reply to his question. But then, she looks up to him with her exasperated expression.

"Of course I would." she replies.

This alone made Itaku smiles to her without him noticing. Reika jolts to the back out of surprise, but then she brings her hand to his forehead which practically makes the kamaitachi stares at her with a hint of surprised in his eyes.

The kamaitachi only stands there in silence, but he somehow enjoys the warmth of her palm on his forehead.

"A-are you okay? Did you feel weird or something? Because I think that I hit your head way too hard that you even smile now. There must be a vein unattached anywhere, right?" she asks, or more like being sarcastic.

Annoyed by her comment, he grabs her hand and brings it to his mouth level before kissing her palm softly. Just a few seconds after, he lets her hand go and smirks towards her.

"I think there's a vein unattached in my brain, I don't seem to able to control my actions willingly." he replies.

Reika of course was slightly embarrassed from his earlier actions, but she didn't have enough time to blush because Reira and Awashima suddenly came towards them.

"Oh~ what is this? Itaku's flirting?" the loudmouthed Awashima grins.

"Awashima! I told you to stop bothering them! Their relationship won't develop fast if someone always get in the way!" Reira replies to him.

The two of them turns bright red and they refuses to face each other for the meantime. Was his actions way too obvious to people's eyes? So he thinks. Well, of course Itaku... Nowadays it's really flashy when a guy is kissing a girl's hand in public.

By now, the ship is already in the air of Kyoto. Apparently, the Nura Clan stumble across the air forces youkai, whose commander is Hakuzoku. Thanks to Natto-Kozo for announcing their name, the small army starts to launch an attack towards them.

But, Hakuzoku stops his underlings. He's persistent about telling the Supreme Commander to come out to front and state his name, but Kubinashi holds the young heiress back. Kubinashi asked the Tono Youkai to escort the commander, but apparently...

".. to where? Isn't that commander of yours right there?" the kamaitachi replies coldly, looking at the young heiress walking towards Hakuzoku.

Kubinashi holds her on the shoulder, but she just slipped through. Of course, Kubinashi was shocked from how the young heiress manages to slip through his hand just like that – but he's still persisting on Reika not to fight Hakuzoku.

"If I get so scared I can't even give my name in a situation like this, my sword will never reach Hagoromo Kitsune" Reika replies.

The kamaitachi folds his arm on his chest while watching the young heiress walking towards her foe. It's funny how she came to Tono village, and even got beaten by the Kappainu, but goes out from Tono as someone who gives a vibe of a commander.

"Why don't you just do as she says? That's why I said she'd never become strong with diligent helpers like you by her side." the kamaitachi said.

This is as exactly as what he means, indicating to the argues he had not long ago with Kubinashi. It's great to have a loyal underlings, but at the same time they're just weighing her down due to their diligence attitude for going in a battle for her instead of herself.

Kubinashi's eyes widen from this. Seems like he manages to get a grasp on what Itaku was talking about.

"Aren't you quite young to be a commander?" Hakuzoku asked, but the answer he gets is an unsheathed sword.

"So you want to be my opponent! I see, that's fine by me! That the spirit of Bandou Youkai.. Show it! You, state your name!" Hakuzoku yells; as if Reika is that deaf to hear him.

For god sakes – she's just standing in front of him.

_**(A/N: Bandou is something about Yakuza I think.)**_

"I'm the young head of the Nura Clan, the Granddaughter of Nurarihyon, Nura Reika!"

**Itaku's POV –**

"I'm the young head of the Nura Clan, the Granddaughter of Nurarihyon, Nura Reika!" the young heiress said.

Most people walks to the back, giving the two youkai an enough space, but somehow I don't want to move anywhere at all. I'm still standing at the spot I was standing at, watching the young heiress and the tengu commander.

"There's one thing I want to ask, why'd you give your name?" Hakuzoku said while holding his spear on his side. Reika of course, looking confused as ever.

"Well, I told you to say your name, but.. so far the only ones who have given their names after seeing this humble servant's power... are the fools who don't know how to fear power. You don't know how much difference of power there is between you, the Nura Clan's young commander, and me."

Reika grins at this. She looks up to Hakuzoku – her face is craved by the grin of victory.

"It's not like I want to respond to you. Rather... It's just that I have to... cut down anyone who gets in my way and move on."

The battle begins with Hakuzoku launching his attack towards Reika with his big spear Daikini. With his massive strength, he manages to throw the small boat towards her easily. However, the battle didn't last long. The young heiress took only a fatal blow on Daikini with Nenekirimaru, which practically breaks the spear into pieces.

By that, Hakuzoku appraises the young heiress and decides to surrender as he's nothing without his Daikini. His actions made the others surprised, especially when he decides to sit down and...

"Take my head!" **_(A/N: It's not the lower head for you sick minded people. _**ಠ_ಠ**_)_**

"Huh?"

"I've lost! Take my head and enter Kyoto from the front proudly!" Hakuzoku replies again, kneeling on the ship, taking his defeat.

"Alright." the young heiress's expression turned darker as she steps forward to take the head of the loser with her sword.

Everyone, even myself is surprised from her action. Does she really, want to do that? But –

Reika's hitting Hakuzoku with the tree branch she picked in Tono before. Hakuzoku turned to look at the young heiress, thinking that she's just mocking him.

"Don't get me wrong, I wanted to listen... but, I've gone and started liking you." the young heiress said.

"Right now, you're ready to die but... would you lend me your strength?" Reika asks while holding Nenekirimaru on her shoulder, while her empty hand holding out for Hakuzoku.

"Besides, we're Yakuza, not Samurai. We don't take someone's head, we just want a strong companion." she adds soon after.

The hair youkai puts her hand to her mouth level and stares at Reika in awe, she's not the only one though. The other Nura Clan youkai were awed by the sight of their previous commander reflecting on Reika's actions.

"...Is it me, or somewhere along the way... has master started acting like a real commander?" Kejoro asks to Kubinashi.

That's something, that I couldn't get my ears off. Looks like, everyone is starting to think like I do. Reika really does astonishes her comrades.

"Yeah." Was his short, relieved reply.

**End of POV –**

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: It seems that today I had a really bad sneezing problems. I just hope my soul won't come out unexpectedly because I sneezed too hard. Thanks to the incense smell that the neighbouring aunty uses to pray, my nose starting to get a tad better. I'm starting to like incense scent now~**

**I should update Guardian Wings sometimes later. Vacations are always tiring.**

**There isn't much Itaku x Reika in this Chapter doesn't it? AAAA RAGES! I promise for the next chapter, there will be more of them.)**


	4. It's not 'like', it's 'love' Got it?

**A/N: Here the promised Itaku x Reika scene! Also to AnimeLover423, I updated fast because I'm on a vacation~ I don't have much thing to do at home, so I let my fingers do the magic XD**

**Warnings:** Genderswitch.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

**Summary:** Thanks to everyone who work their asses out to make the ship lands safely, they arrive at Kyoto unharmed. Later, Reika meets the person that her grandfather mentioned to her in the previous chapter.

* * *

><p>"What about this 'Genius seal' you mentioned?" An angry Kyoto Police practically yelling to the 27th head of the Keikain family.<p>

"Genius? Who're you talking about? Me perhaps?"

"What? Who's that guy?" the Kyoto Governor asks to the other Keikain onmyouji.

The previous leader chuckles slightly from this question.

"I'm Hidemoto~ " He replies with a cheeky tone.

"What are you talking about? Hidemoto's over here, isn't here?" The Kyoto Governor questions the previous leader once again – he's absolutely confused from the chat they're having right now.

"Well obviously... I'm Hidemoto the 13th" the cunning previous leader smiles once again, revealing himself.

Everyone was muttering to each other. Of course to them, they barely have any idea about him, but to the Keikain family – his return was bizarre. Hidemoto Keikain the 13th was a famous onmyouji who recently got summoned by Yura's Hagun. Despite his sly personality, he really is a clever yet cunning man.

"Ah~ First let me say~ the last seal at Nijou Castle will fall!" _**(A/N: :D Hidemoto's current expression.)**_ He explains cheerfully – which leads to another major confusion by the sons of Keikain.

"Seriously, that fox lady sure is strong~~ and all her underlings gathered under that ambition... They're all major players too, you know~"

"You can't be serious..." the Kyoto Governor replies, disbelieving Hidemoto's explanation.

"Besides, there's no way humans could ever win against those thousand-year-old, big deal youkai~" He added again, waving his hand in an up and down motion.

"We should just let them have that old castle!" He laughs harder as he said this.

Here, people from the governments not to mention the sons of Keikain doubt themselves. They thinks that Hidemoto is just taking this matters lightly, even though he really is not.

"However, there, they'll be on the defensive." Hidemoto finally breaks from his sly act, getting more serious now.

"It was the same 400 years ago... Hagoromo Kitsune will be trying to give birth at the Nijou Castle."

Slowly, the sons of Keikain manage to grasp his major idea. They look to each other and grins as if they could see the future – where they manage to beat the old fox.

"In order to beat them, we need two things... The first is the Hagun, and that means – Yura-chan!" As he said this, everyone shifted their looks on the young onmyouji girl.

"Everyone take care of this kid, okay~? " Hidemoto adds with a flirty tone.

"Then, the other thing we need is the spirit blade which can cut through youkai! We've got to send out a high-speed messenger to Edo right away! To see Nurarihyon!"

"That sword... is the one called 'Nenekirimaru', correct?" Ryuuji cuts the previous head's words.

"Oh my, what's this..? There's actually someone here who's done their homework!" Hidemoto replies happily.

"Right now, the sword is in the hands... of the Granddaughter of Nurarihyon." Ryuuji explains.

Hidemoto stares at the shorter onmyouji, disbelieved from what he just said.

"Did you say… 'His' granddaughter …?"

**XXXXX**

Because of the attack earlier in previous chapter, they barely made themselves out alive from the ship. Who would ever think of a troop of youkai attacking their ship when the foe's commander is still there. The result is their ship getting a major damage and it's about to descends.

But thanks to Kubinashi, Itaku, Shoei and Reira, they manage to make the ship land safely. Reika breathes in a relieved sigh once they're on the water, but seriously; if it wasn't because of the river, they might also been dead by now.

Itaku climbs up to the deck, noticing the young mistress on her butt, thanks to the impact, she feels wobbly to even stand up. He walks towards her and pokes the young heiress's cheek softly, gesturing for her to take his hand. She looks at his hand curiously, but she took it without asking anything.

Itaku smiles to himself. He has always enjoys her warmth.

The young heiress in the other hand couldn't see his act of kindness was out of his interest towards her. She has always thought that the other is acting weirdly, but somehow she feels funny in the inside.

"Kyoto looks very bad." She says.

Somewhere along the line, Hidemoto the 13th has found the Nura Clan. This was due to information given by one of the Keikain son who informed that there was a large ship which crashed at the river not long ago.

After some explanation later, the onmyouji brought the clan into the Keikain household. He's providing them protection overnight, before heading to the first spiral seal mentioned by Hakuzoku in the next day.

Of course, Hidemoto's action _aren't_ pleasing some of the sons of Keikain, but knowing the 13th's reputation – he might have some kind of plan in his head. _**(**__**A/N: **__**even though he currently **_**_doesn't_**_**.)**_

Hidemoto provides them with a big, spacious place for the youkai to sleep in for a night, letting them recover from the long ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. Apparently at first, some of the Nura Clan youkai hesitated since it's an onmyouji's house but Reika put her trust into Hidemoto because Nurarihyon did mentioned his name to her. The other reason was Yura.

By night, the young heiress walks up to the second floor, an empty room which has a corridor facing towards the big sakura tree, resembling the one they had back at home. The young heiress smiles gently at the view, she then sit at the same spot where Nurarihyon used to sit when he came to eat at the onmyouji's house. The sakura looks gentle, fragrant yet ephemeral. Reminding her to the story that her grandfather used to tell her when she was little, the story about her grandmother – Princess Yo.

"Reika-chan, do you like this room?"

The young heiress turns around to face the taller figure as he slides the screen door open. She nods in reply, lifting up the red sake cup which was provided there to her mouth level, sipping it.

"Hidemoto, wants some drink?" She offers the onmyouji.

Hidemoto, with a cunning smile, accepts the offering. He sits across her in the corridor, holding up an empty cup of sake, gesturing for her to pour it for him.

Of course, the yakuza heiress pours some sake, filling the small cup on his hand and watches the onmyouji drink.

"You know, you really resemble that guy right now, Nurarihyon. Time passed surprisingly fast when you're dead huh~~ I've never thought that he would have a grandchild already by now." Hidemoto laughs upon saying this, lifting his knee so he could rest his hand on it.

"Ah, Akagappa said that too." She replies shortly, her eyes shifts from the onmyouji to the ephemeral sakura tree.

The young heiress watches as one of the petals fall in her sake cup. She smiles – sipping a drink from her cup once again.

"The old man told me to meet you when I got here. I've never thought that you will come to me yourself." She adds, gesturing so the onmyouji would pour sake into her cup.

The young heiress glances at the sake which slowly filling her cup.

"_What_ kind of relationship that grandpa used to have with Keikain back then?" She asks out of curiosity.

The onmyouji who's wearing a white onmyouji cloth that resembles Hagun snickers at her question. He never thought that the pretty granddaughter of his favourite youkai would be so _interested_ in her grandfather's past.

"Well, Nurarihyon is an odd youkai. He's actually the **only** one that came to eat... at the house of an onmyouji." He replies while a comical sweat drops fall from his head.

"What about my grandmother?" She asks again.

Hidemoto's eyes widen slightly, out of amusement, but the young heiress couldn't see his reaction since she's pretty much into watching the sakura outside the corridor.

"Princess Yo, she's... pretty. Just like you, Reika-chan~" He answers in his usual flirty tone.

The young heiress chuckles in reply. She might take it as a compliment too.

Hidemoto glances to his side as the screen door slides open once again, revealing the kamaitachi in front of the door. The onmyouji stands up, smiling slyly to the kamaitachi before exiting the room without saying anything.

The kamaitachi watches at the onmyouji walks out – now he's debating either he should go in, or not. In the other hand, the young heiress seems to not noticing that the 13th had walk away from the seat, since she seems to be deep in her thought.

"What are you thinking about, Reika?" the kamaitachi asks as he walks into the room, breaking the silence.

Reika jolts in surprise, looking for the onmyouji that just left the room, just to find out that he's waving at her from the first floor. She could hear the kamaitachi sigh, but she chooses to ignore it, and continue sipping on her sake while leaning her back on the wooden wall.

"I was thinking that... am I fit to be the supreme commander?" She replies, half asking for the kamaitachi's opinion – but he's not saying anything but staring straight into her eyes.

"Why're you staring like that?" She asks with a hint of surprise in her tone, before putting her sake cup down and crawls into the room from the corridor.

She lands on her side as she reached at the middle of the room, closing her eyes while drifting into her thoughts once again. Those who exchanged sakazuki with her had a great trust and expectation towards the young heiress. If she fails, she would most probably bring everyone down.

Just then that she feels something warm hovering her. The kamaitachi holds his sickle on her throat level –

"Aren't I always telling you _never_ to disperse your _fear_?" he warns, just like the first time they had stepped out from Tono Village.

The young heiress gasps slightly in surprise, but she just lays silent afterwards, staring into the mahogany optics of the kamaitachi. Eventually, the male sets his sickle away, but he's pushing his own weight on her, locking his own pair of lips with the other's soft lips.

The young heiress was caught off guard – Itaku seems to be getting the best of her. Apparently the young heiress was too surprised to react, so she's currently not replying the kiss yet.

"I told you, you always get yourself in trouble. Now, you got yourself with a trouble named Itaku." he said as he pulls back, staring into the beautiful female underneath him.

The kamaitachi has no intention of doing bad thing to the Nurarihyon's heiress, but he seems to be losing it whenever he sees her. Even now he's holding back a lot. He pushes his sickle away from their side, as it would be in the way – he thinks. He grasps the heiress's hand, lacing his own fingers with her, kissing her once again.

To the young heiress, the feeling now is pretty much awkward. She has never kissed anyone or got kissed before, and this would be the first time that a guy managed to get on top of her – but she doesn't hate it either.

Upon feeling the warm fingers lacing with her own, she squeezes the other's hand slightly, now daring herself by replying the kiss that Itaku plants on her once virgin lips.

The kamaitachi pulls back in surprise – did the princess just responds to his kiss? His eyes widen slightly from it while his cheeks turn into faint tint of red. But being Itaku, he tries to hide his embarrassment and fights back with staring at the female once again.

Reika could feel that there's a switch inside her flips on, which makes her ridiculously happy and embarrassed that time.

**Itaku's POV** –

I was surprised that Reika actually _replies_ to my kisses. I somehow found it hard to believe. I perk my head up slowly to look at her face's details, but what she does as reply?

She smiles at me – sweetly, like I would be the love of her life.

_I give up._

I drop myself to her side, holding her close in my arms as I let the young heiress rests her head near my chest.

"Could you hear it...?" I muse to myself, but it was loud enough that the young heiress could hear me, since a soft gesture of nodding could be felt in my arms.

_She could hear my heartbeat right now..._

"Although I _wouldn't_ exchange sakazuki with you, but I want to see you climb up to become the Master of Spirits" I said as I calm myself down.

I could feel Reika's warm embrace around my chest; it's almost as if – she's pressing her ears closer to my chest. A faint blush appears across my face as she did so, but I'm not going to stop her action since it's somewhat ... comfortable like this.

"Somehow, since that day you got tangled in my net, you're** tangled** in my heart too." I keep on talking, so the current situation wouldn't be too awkward for both of us.

I pull her closer into my embrace – I could feel that Reika is cuddling into my arms and then she goes silent and just listens to my heartbeat, breathe and voice. She's so docile, just like a borrowed cat.

"Stop talking Itaku – ... I somehow, _like_ you too." the young heiress replies shortly after.

'_Ah... I... I think I've passed the 'like' level. I think I've fell in_**_ love_**_ with this fool._'

**End of POV –**

He seriously couldn't forget the day they first met each other in Tono Village. Reika knows that she can't forget about it too. That funny time when she tried to run away from Tono and she stepped onto an illusion bridge. Luckily though, she was saved by the kamaitachi.

The couple closes their eyes in sync, keeping their warmth to each other as they drift into their sea of dream. Funny, they could fall asleep while thinking of the same thing. It's like, they're made for each other.

Behind the screen door, Awashima, Kejoro, Hidemoto, Yura, Kubinashi and Reira watches the newly couple's suspicious back whom already fell asleep nearly an hour ago, embracing each other – not noticing the others stalking them.

Awashima nearly scream out of surprise, but Kejoro and Reira managed to close the night form Awashima, so he wouldn't wake the couple up.

"Reika-chan and Itaku-chan might have some interesting children soon~" Hidemoto sings cheerfully as he walks away from the hallway.

**XXXXX**

"Wow! It's like the forest's entry!"

"So many gates~" Both Dohiko and Amezou said in awe.

By then, they already enters the entrance of the temple for the first spiral seal. It's the day, but apparently, because of the strong spiritual energy around here, Reika, Itaku and Awashima still doesn't transform to their day form.

Of course it's something good to Reika, and probably Itaku too, but Awashima... He just keep blabbering about how he couldn't get used to his girl body, but somehow he just has to bare with it.

"Hey Awashima, I always wonder this... Which toilet do you enter normally?" Zen asks.

"Eh? Of course the guy's toilet! I'm a man inside!" he points his thumb to where his heart supposed to be located. The other youkai sweat drops upon hearing this.

Awashima then turns around to one of the gate entrance, noticing something nearby, he approaches it. Reika in the other hand is just following Awashima from behind, since she's reacting out of curiosity.

"What's this? Omokaruishi?" Reika asks.

The young heiress perks her head up from his side while watching the youkai pick the stone.

"Whoa! That weigh like a ton! What the hell!" He yelps out of surprise.

Awashima turns around to look at the young heiress, asking, which team he should be in. That was when Kubinashi tells him that he's on the neckless youkai's team. The nymph youkai hums to himself while following the neckless youkai, but like always – his loud mouth could never be shut.

The young heiress took a glance to the Omokaruishi – she reaches out for it, but someone holds her hand so she couldn't touch it.

"Oh, Itaku!" She says in surprise.

"Lets go." He says, tugging the young heiress along with him, walking in a different path with Hidemoto, Mamiru and Ryuuji in their team.

"Hey, what's the deal with that stone over there?" Reika asks – probably the famous onmyouji would know something, since every pillars here were made out of spiritual energy, so something must be here.

"Oh, that? You might not want to touch that – Omokaruishi. It's said that, if you thought the stone is much heavier than it would be, misfortune will befall you." Hidemoto explains, while leading the way.

"H-hey, you don't mean... Something going to happen on Awashima right?" Reika asks once again.

"It's all depends on the person~" the onmyouji hums slyly.

**XXXXX**

"Eh, we meet at the same end huh?" the cunning onmyouji smiles, which irked the neckless youkai very much.

If they were going to separate and meet at the same place, they should have walked together at the first place. Hidemoto didn't say anything in reply, but only his sly smiles – seems like he knew this from the beginning.

Ah wait, he's the sealer 400 years ago, of course he would knew it.

Kubinashi facepalms himself, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the slight headache. Somehow along the line, Awashima appears out of the blue with his clothing seems ripped at some places. Shoulder, stomach, legs. He even bleeds.

"Awashima?" the young heiress blinks in surprise, so does the other, but the onmyouji himself.

So it seems that Awashima was spirited away by the ayakashi mentioned by Hidemoto earlier. Their glance shift from Awashima to the youkai resembling a buddhist statue behind him. Of course it's surprising, it totally freaks out some of the Nura Clan's youkai.

"Hmm~ It seems you're stronger than the ayakashi who became a 'stopper' for the 'path of the outer shell'. You've got a good underling there, haven't you?" Hidemoto praises Awashima while grinning towards Reika.

"Ayakashi, you made your nest in the outer pathway.. Now once again, become the cornerstone for the seal which casts ayakashi out from the capital" Ryuuji mutters.

"Look at that!" Kurotabo gasps in surprise.

A huge pillar appears in the sky, slamming on top of the buddhist statue youkai. That must be hurt.

"Hey Hidemoto! What's the deal! You told us to come earlier, but you're late yourself!" yells a very familiar voice from up above.

One by one surprises appears in front of their eyes. They then shifts their glances to look up. What they could see is a shikigami resembling a flying ox cart, Gisha. There, what they could see is a girl who's jerking her head out from the window, getting annoyed by the onmyouji's act. Apparently, what makes her more pissy is when Tsurara, the Yuki Onna pushes her to the side, looking at the young heiress with a cheerful grin and waves.

"Reika-sama~!"

"Stop butting in!" Yura said while having her face in chibi form, while a vein pops under her eyes. She slaps the onmyouji seals on Tsurara's face, but of course, it doesn't affect Tsurara one bit.

"How could you do that meanie! This is our long-awaited reunion! That was inhuman! You can't be human!" Tsurara replies while pushing the onmyouji girl to the side.

"Shut up! I don't want to be told that by a youkai!" Yura yells back, with her usual thick Kansai-ben.

"Oi, what's going on up there?" the young heiress asks as she tucks her hands into her sleeve – She barely grasp whatever argument happening between the youkai and the onmyouji girl.

"Just disappear! I'll end you!" Yura yells again.

Hidemoto made a triangular shaped mouth, comically, while his expression is cheerful as ever.

"Ah, you said disappear~" He said.

Apparently, that's the word used to bring back Gisha into a shikigami paper, but since the two girls are unaware of it, they fell from high above. Luckily for them, two warriors of their life saved their ass from crushing on impact from falling.

"Hoi, Reika~" Awashima whispers loudly. His hand gesturing so the young heiress would come to him, and she did.

"I guess, that's the girl you wanted to save?" he whispers.

"The super hot friend of yours?"

"Hey come on, introduce to us~" Dohiko and Amezou adds while grinning widely.

Reika blinks and stares at the other three youkai, then she shakes her head and turns to look to her side.

"Nope, she's over there." the young heiress points directly at Yura, who's in the arms of her onmyouji brother; Ryuuji.

Yura is pretty much fixated in the young heiress that she forgot that her brother is the one that saved her life just now. Ryuuji's eyes twitches from being ignored – he chooses the easiest way to make his little sister to notice him by throwing Yura to the back, making her lands on her butt.

"You're heavy" Ryuuji says while clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"You don't have to throw me, asshole brother!" Yura protests as she stands up.

"You've gotten yourself a pretty dirty mouth recently!" Ryuuji yells back to the younger onmyouji sibling of him.

"Hn~ These are some interesting kids~" Hidemoto hums to himself, putting up the usual smile he always has on his face.

* * *

><p><strong><em>(AN: My mother and little sister always said that I got happy from a little thing. Am I a person who's easily satisfied? Somehow I felt that it's not a good thing at all_**

**_Kisses are rated T right? IT'S NOT M RIGHT? _**o_o

**_Anyways, thanks for reading so far! I'm trying hard to make the story interesting. I have no idea why it's hard to restrain myself from typing 4,000 words. If I could do this well in writing essay back then, my teacher would die happy. But Alas, I graduated already haha~) _**


	5. Torment of the Commander and Matoi!

**A/N:** Chapter 5 of this story already xD Ah guys, I need you guys to look at my profile, down to Character design and look at the links for Itaku and Reika's pic. I drew them myself yesterday, so I need your opinion bout it.

**Warnings:** Genderswitch

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

**Summary:** Many things happen in a row, just that everything seems to be bad thing.

* * *

><p>After the guardian of a multitude of Japanese gates at the Fushime Inari Shrine was ultimately defeated by Awashima and sealed or killed by Ryuuji later on, Zen assists Jiaying to heal the wound on Awashima.<p>

Reika stares at Awashima and then she crosses her arms in front of her chest. If she did touched the stone earlier, she might has end up like him.

_"Let's go."_

'_Ah, that's right._'

Reika's ruby optics glances towards the kamaitachi – who's apparently staring at her too. As their eyes met, they turn around out of embarrassment. The young heiress scratches her cheek with her index finger slightly while fidgeting around.

If it wasn't because of Itaku earlier, she might have been spirited away like Awashima.

'Probably I should thank him later' she thinks.

"Looks like all the strong ones are here!"

Practically nearly everyone were caught off guard and smashed to the side by the powerful swing of an unknown youkai. Reika pulls out Nenekirimaru and stands by Itaku's side. Her eyes are sharp as she stares at the bigger youkai in front of them, but worries are reflecting in her eyes.

"Isn't this a bit too sudden?" Reira yells out in surprise.

All of them are standing in a defensive mode, not willing to take the powerful swing that might have killed them earlier once again.

"Who're you?" Kurotabo questions.

"My name is Tsuchigumo. I came here to duke it out with strong fighters. That's all I need. So anyone here got the guts?" the youkai named Tsuchigumo challenges the group.

"Even woman are fine by me! Anyone who can fight is my opponent!"

Itaku's eyes widen by hearing this, without himself noticing, he's stepping slightly in front of Reika, while hoping that the spider youkai named Tsuchigumo won't try to pick out a random girl to attack.

Apparently, his prayers weren't heard.

"Reira!" the young heiress yells.

In a swift motion, Tsuchigumo lands his pipe on the Tono Youkai's Yuki Onna, Reira. But then Tsuchigumo realizes the pipe cracks due to an unknown force – the force from Jiaying's flames which resembles a phoenix greatly. Tsuchigumo laughs out loudly from the fight and starts to swing the gigantic pipe around once again, creating a big aftershock to the youkais.

"Stop! I'll face you." Reika says to Tsuchigumo.

"Wait, Reika-chan! We mustn't fight him!" Hidemoto yells, but she couldn't hear it.

After all, it's too late to withdraw now.

"Very well!"

**XXXXX**

**Itaku's POV –**

We were gagged that Reika's Kyoka Suigetsu aren't working on Tsuchigumo. Even Awashima knows that situation might get bad on this point.

"Reika! You fall back! We'll take care of him!" I yell, at least hoping that we could create some opening for her to run.

But – Tsuchigumo doesn't wait at all! He holds her slender figure in his palm, punching her over and over again with his big fist and slams her down on the ground.

"Bastard! We told you to wait!" I scream furiously at the Kyoto Youkai as he launches another attack on Reika.

'_No!_''

"You're in the way!" Tsuchigumo yells while slamming me to the side with his empty hand.

_((If Tsuchigumo is hungry... Everything around will be devoured.))_

"Just wait, I'll devour the entire Hyakki Yakou.. Just like this little girl here." Tsuchigumo lifts his fist from the beaten Reika as he said that.

_Reika!_

I could see her entire body is nearly crushed, her condition looks really bad. Reika is moving an inch at all too. Tsuchigumo's attention now averts towards Jiaying now – he wants to, devour her next.

"You bastard!" I yell, but yet again, I'm too late.

His fist crashes on each person in his view range. Everything we have done was to no avail. We know that we fought all out already, but it seems that we're overwhelmed by Tsuchigumo's fear.

I groan, waiting for an impact as he slams his fist on me.

That's when I could feel someone familiar catches me from the back and assist me to stand up. I turn around slightly to face her – amazed at how she could still stand from being crushed badly by Tsuchigumo.

"Reika!"

Reika glances towards me at first, then to everyone around the shrine. She grits her teeth, squeezing into my hand tightly.

She could see that her Hyakki Yakou – nearly devoured by Tsuchigumo.

"IF YOU SAY YOU WANT TO CRUSH A HYAKKI YAKOU THEN YOU DAMN WELL BETTER START WITH ME YOU LOWLIFE PIECE OF SHIT!" The fool enrages, tears even streaming down her eyes.

Just like the sayings, 'good thing will never happen many times in a row, but bad things will', I could see her figure starting to change as well as mine. Her long black and white locks starting to grow slightly shorter and darker in colour. Crap! This would be a bad time to change back into the day form.

I could understand the messages coming from the tightening grip on my hand that Reika couldn't bear seeing her Hyakki being devoured like this. The fool of a girl tries to attack Tsuchigumo once again but – we both know that she wouldn't stand a chance in her day form.

"Reika! Stop! Don't attack!" I scream to stop her, but it seems like emotions got the best of her.

For the next 14 minutes, ignoring the standstill around him, Tsuchigumo did nothing but continually pummel Reika. This ends up being the most humiliating moment of the Nura's Clan's 500 year history.

The prolonged torment of the commander.

Her guards are unable to protect her. Even the blade of the assault captain could not find its mark. All those around could only curse our powerlessness and watch.

Tsuchigumo truly is an ayakashi we should never have met.

"I can't... lose... here..." the young heiress mutters to herself, but it was loud enough for us to hear it – loud enough to irk Tsuchigumo.

I raise my head to look at the strong willed commander, the fool of a girl is putting her life on the line to save her Hyakki. Seeing her like this totally make triggers a sharp pain in my chest.

'_I'm sorry, for being this weak..._'

That strong willed girl hold on her Nenekirimaru, she insisted to keep on fighting, since she's the commander. All I could do now is to watch her.

_God,_

Tsuchigumo said something to the young heiress and took Tsurara, the Yuki Onna with him. The young commander screams as the youkai left the first seal place, but eventually, she collapses due to major exhaustion.

"Ugh, you're all beat up, Reika..." I could hear the bird youkai, Reika's sworn brother mumbling at her while picking her up, wrapping her wounds.

_If you're somewhere out there..._

"She did well to survive…" I grunt as I get closer to them.

Zen jerks his head up, surprised to see that I'm all beaten up too. Of course, he nearly panicks, but I would be fine, so he just need to focus on healing Reika for now.

"She's probably that idiot that she_ forgot_ how to die." Jiaying says. Even so worry is written all over on her face.

_Save this girl._

"Do you really intend to be the head of the Nura family in this condition?" A guy with long hair, covering the side of his eyes arrived at the scene.

"I will be taking your commander." He announces.

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

Rustle… Rustle…

The young heiress of the Nura Clan is currently under a training session. She had lost it at the time she fought with Tsuchigumo that she was even intimidated by the fear of a member of the Hyakki, Gyuuki.

Waking up out of exhaustion, she could feel someone wrapping her wounds.

**Zen's POV –**

"Zen-nii..?" She mumbles as she sits up.

"Your body sure is amazing. How it endure so much?" I nag as soon as my sworn sister woke up.

The young commander sighs and stares at me, wondering why I'm here.

"I exchanged sakazuki with you as your sworn brother, you know~ but even in training, if I don't heal you, where would that leave you?" I nag at the young heiress again but now, with a hint of proud in my tone.

"I'm sorry... because I'm so weak... I'm just a hindrance to Zen-nii and everyone else..."

I blink slightly and look down at her, noticing her glassy eyes which starting to take a form into tears right now. I take a deep breath, releasing it before I land a whack behind the young girl's head.

"AAGH! What's that for Zen-nii?" She yells at me while holding the back of her head.

"What the hell are you talking about, you moron! You're the damn commander, act like it!" I nag at the young girl in front of me – yet again.

_It's like our roles changed, doesn't it? You're the one who always get mad at me when I get all worked up. You were worried about my health and condition._

_Reika, you've become one of a great strength to me._

"Reika, look at this." I call her softly.

I shove off my kimono, revealing my nude top to the younger heiress. It might seem like something rude to do – and by rude is stripping in front of a young lady, but that's not the point here.

The young heiress seems to be captivated by my pair of black wings on my back. She nearly touches them, but I warned her not to. Pretty or not, the feathers are still poisonous. I couldn't bare having her to touch my poison.

"This is the ability of the youkai Zen. You could probably call it my 'fear' too."

_Because of that – can I become one of your source of strength too?_

"Zen-nii... Thank you." She said to me while smiling gently.

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

**Hidemoto's POV –**

"Alright now! Okay~~~ Let's be on our way to the seal~~~!" I say, trying to get all of the Nura Clan's youkai to cheer up.

Though, it is to no avail. That's youkai for you – once their leader is gone, they have no reason to fight anymore. A Hyakki Yakou cannot exist without its leader.

'_Even in any way you look at this, that child is the leader of this Hyakki Yakou._' I think while looking at the youkai who seems to have lost all their motivation. Even so...

"We just don't have time for this, let's see what can be done..." I muse to myself, or to Yura – the one who summoned me along with Hagun.

That was when, the hair youkai snaps some senses out of her comrades. Somehow, she manages to get the youkai to be motivated once again.

Ah~ It's good to have a girl like that among them~

"Come on now, the Tono Group too..." She says while crossing her arms on her chest while looking at the Tono Youkai.

The kamaitachi seems to be a tad distracted, so Awashima replies on his behalf.

"Sorry, but this is where we part ways. We're moving independently."

**XXXXX**

We then reached the 7th seal; the Hashira Imperial Villa. What lays upon our eyes are something that is hard for me to even comprehends. Corpses here and there – the rumored beautiful garden turned into a garden with meats as their rocks.

"I see tremendous anger here" I said while looking at the burn mark behind the neck of a youkai.

"That such powerful ayakashi could be reduced to this...-" I say before being cut in my words by Kurotabo.

"This is the work of Kubinashi." He explains.

'_Looks like they've got a few seriously powerful ones here and there. I suppose they must have joined the Nura Clan while I was dead..._' I think to myself as I watch Kurotabo and Kappa steps out from the garden to find the neckless youkai.

'_Nura Clan... Even after 400 years, you still manage to attract my attention..._'

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

"... That's one hell of a look you've got going, Reika." the bird youkai said while resting his cheek lazily on his palm while staring at his sworn sister eating.

Her face is full of scratches and wounds, not to mention wrappers from her previous wound. This girl really doesn't look like a girl at all. This stubborn girl got a surprisingly high endurance in survival, which Zen himself couldn't possibly understand.

"A blade that can reach Tsuchigumo.. Where can I find that within myself? If I don't have it, I'm powerless..." She mumbles to herself while eating the rice that Zen cooked for them.

"Oi, you've been going on about this whole time... That Gyuuki is going all out too..." Zen say while a comical sweat drop falls on his cheek.

Gyuuki sounds pretty much like a Nazi right now.

That's when the door slams open, revealing three tengu by the entrance who are ready to strike Reika down. The young heiress's bowl of rice fall down on the wooden floor out of surprise. She grabs Nenekirimaru and stands in front of Zen and glares at the tengu. She's trying to create an opening for her sworn brother to escape.

Though Zen seems to refuse on moving an inch at all.

"What's the matter with you Zen? Get out of here!" the young yakuza heiress yelled at her sworn brother with worry.

"Fuck you Reika." He grunts to himself.

"Zen...?" she asks as she glances back to him.

"You're a real bastard... Treating me like I'd just slow you down!" the bird youkai protests.

"Huh? That's bull, I'm totally not!" The young heiress argues back.

"You totally are, asshole!" Zen replied again.

"You've got really dirty mouth Zen-nii! Are you sure you want to use your colourful language to a girl?"

"What?"

"Forget this, just get out of here!"

"No way!"

"What the hell, just do it!"

Apparently, the two doesn't have enough time as the Tengu of Kurama starts to attack them. She pulled Nenekirimaru up to her eye level and growls in annoyance.

"Fine! Just stand back then, Zen! ..I'll bring them down!"

The Tengu of Kurama are really going all out on the young heiress – of course, with an intention to kill her too. Apparently, the young heiress and Zen got cornered. They're in major trouble right now.

'_I don't have a blade to scatter them... I want a blade... that I can protect Zen with! I want the power... to protect my Hyakki..._' she thinks.

"Reika..." the young heiress's sworn brother steps to the front, standing next to her.

"I won't stand back, and I don't want to run either. What I want... is to be of use... to you." the bird youkai adds.

"I'm your Hyakki Yakou, aren't I?" he questions the young heiress.

This made Reika pause on her action. Her eyes widen just slightly from his question, surprising that he could spur out such motivational words to her. Somehow, she knows what the bird youkai is trying to say. She looks up at him, grinning widely with her wounded face.

"...Alright, I understand, my mouthy little underling." She replies to the male's request.

"Zen-nii, show me your fear." She orders.

The khaki haired youkai chuckles out slight annoyance in being ordered around, but he honestly doesn't care. Zen then activates his fear – but then, there's something weird happening. The bird youkai emerges with Reika, his figure slowly disappears and this leads to the tengus's confusion.

Reika could see that her exorcist sword changes in form slightly, and she takes no time to strike the tengus down. The battle lasts only for only few minutes now, and victory seems clear to Gyuuki who's being a spectator since the event started not long ago.

Not long after, Zen's figure slowly coming out from the tattoo from Reika's back. He seems really exhausted, but seeing the wounded tengus, he couldn't help but to get all worked up once again.

"Get on move you guys, they need an antidote!" Zen nags the youkai that possessed his medicine equipment, Kusuritsubo and Taketsubo-kun.

Zen was the first person that Reika exchanged sakazuki with, so Gyuuki is really certain that the both of them could achieve this. The ability of a Hyakki Leader – gaining strength by trusting her companion, and being trusted by them in turn.

"It's not simply about protecting or being protected." Gyuuki explains to the young heiress.

The girl who's watching Zen doing his work pauses for a while and she couldn't help but to smiles slightly to what Gyuuki just said.

'_I see... It's true that up until now, I've been trying to do everything by myself..._' she thinks.

"Thank you Gyuuki, for making me realize this." She says to the elder youkai, thanking him for teaching her that.

From here and on would be another showdown between Gyuuki and Reika. He wants to see if the ability could be used to sever his 'fear'. Gyuuki wants to see if Reika is worthy enough to be the Hyakki Leader.

'_I need to grasp everything quickly – So I could meet him._'

**XXXXX**

**Itaku's POV –**

Dark clouds over Kyoto already show that something is happening in here. Anyone normal could possibly feel the heavy atmosphere in here. I gaze out to the capital, thinking. After three days waiting as Gyuuki said, we can wait no longer.

"It's your fight, but if you're not here by midnight… We'll kill Tsuchigumo." I say to myself.

I am actually wondering if she's being worked to the bones like how she was in Tono back then, or the Nura Clan's yokai is being gentle on their young mistress?

I sigh and breathe in, cursing myself for breathing in the same air as that bastard Tsuchigumo is breathing.

If you would be dead after Tsuchigumo's attack, I don't know myself how should I react. Should I get my emotions get the best of me and assaults like an idiot directly to Tsuchigumo? Or should I withdraw back to Tono, wash my hands from this matter and mourns for your death?

In other way, I need you.

"It's time, let's go." Awashima says.

'_Hold on a sec, I'm getting the craziest feeling right now..._'

**End of POV –**

**XXXXX**

"So you're finally here."

Back to Tsuchigumo whose waiting for Reika at the 2nd seal. At first he really thought that Reika chickened out and she's not willing to come and challenges him – but it seems that he was wrong.

Tsurara who attempts to stab Tsuchigumo with her ice lancer not long ago stops on her track. Now she shifts her glance towards the door where the young heiress is standing. She clutches into her ice lancer, feeling as if she failed her job to be Reika's guard since Reika comes all her way to save her.

"Why did you come here?" Tsurara yells to the young heiress out of depression.

"I came here to save you Tsurara." She replies shortly.

"I'm sorry... I sure kept you waiting." the young heiress uses her Kyouka Suigetsu to get behind the girl who once her babysitter when she was little.

"Entrust everything to me."

The girl clearly makes Tsuchigumo worked up since he starts to take her even more seriously once she cut his hand with the ice lance similar to the yuki onna whom he kidnapped few days ago.

Tsuchigumo puts up the debris from the broken pillars to create a large battle ring, which cuts Reika from her other comrades outside. She clicks her tongue in annoyance, hating the cowardly way Tsuchigumo uses to fight.

"I've told you Tsuchigumo, you can never break a Hyakki Yakou without breaking its leader first." the young heiress said, with a hint of proud in her tone.

The young heiress at least still has two of her comrades with her, and they would be Zen and Tsurara. Since that day she trained under Gyuuki, she learned that – alone, she could never achieve what she wishes for.

"Pretending like you've got a Hyakki Yakou... There are just 3 of you here!" the seriously annoyed Tsuchigumo laughs towards the youkai whom he took not more than a pest.

"Actually, there are 6 of us."

The female commander who's being soaked by blood due to her wound from fighting Tsuchigumo on her head turns around to look at the familiar voice. It's the kamaitachi standing on top of one of the pillar, staring down triumphantly towards the cowardly Tsuchigumo.

"Reika, if you wish it – Tono will become your strength." He adds.

Itaku looks at the precious girl who seems to be beaten like always with a slight sigh. He's wondering when the precious girl of his would learn to stop stepping into troubles. Honestly speaking, he might has used all his 'worry' while thinking about that girl alone.

He couldn't help but to smile at himself by this.

He's glad that at least he came right on time.

"You're late."

* * *

><p><strong><em>(AN: Sleepy. I'm going to draw more Itaku and Reika's pic later. If you missed the first A/N on top, I hope you could read them because I mentioned bout Reika and Itaku's drawings that I drew yesterday. I need your opinion bout it! R&R please.)_**


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